Bottle carrier



June 20, 1967 E. N. CROUCH 3,326,411

BOTTLE CARRIER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 16, 1965 mKA Fig.1- 3 1 Fig.2

Elmoe N. Crouch INVENTOR Wood, Herron 8 Evans ATTORNEYS E. N. CROUCH June 20, 1967 BOTTLE CARRIER 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 16, 1965 Hmoe N. Crouch )NVENTOR BY Wood, Henr'on & Evans ATT'O R N EYS June 20, 1967 CROUCH 3,326,411

, BOTTLE CARRIER Filed Nov. 16, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Elmoe N. Crouch (NVENTOR BY W000, Herron'fmns ATTORNEKS E N. CROUCH BOTTLE CARRIER June 20, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 16, 1965 m "V h E m 5 0 m5 R nlY .m D um W E d \m v w EL W 8 WA O\( 3 5 1 .M CI

United States Patent 3,326,411 BOTTLE CARRIER Elmoe N. Crouch, 4 Kentwood Drive, Franklin, Ohio 45005 Filed Nov. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 508,003 2 Claims. (Cl. 220113) This invention relates to improvements in carriers of the type used in transporting and displaying bottled beverages. Bottle carriers of the type disclosed are well known and are constructed of paperboard material from a one-piece blank and arranged to be conveniently assembled and erected with the use of an adhesive which is applied to certain flaps and panels of the blank.

Bottle carriers of the category contemplated by the invention are usually constructed to confine bottles in groups of six or eight for convenient stacking of the carriers one upon another and for convenient transport. In constructing the carrier, the one-piece paperboad blank is provided with lines of severance and score lines which are applied to the blank at the proper locations, whereby the sheet blank, when folded and adhesively secured includes a carrier body, separators providing spaces for the designated group of bottles, and a composite handle projecting above the carrier body and separators.

One of the primary objectives of the present invention has been to provide a bottle carrier which includes a carrier body, bottle separators, and a composite handle structure projecting above the carrier body and comprising a four-ply load-bearing or reinforcing section coextensive with and joined to the carrier body for strength, with a two-ply hand grip section of reduced length projecting above the reinforcing section.

According to this aspect of the invention, the composite handle comprises two sets of panels which are similar in configuration and which are formed in the mid-portion of the sheet blank by the application of severance and score lines without any waste of stock. Each set of panels includes one hand grip panel and one reinforcing panel, the panels being doubled and redoubled upon One another and secured together adhesively to form the four-ply reinforcing section joined to the carrier body, with the two-ply hand grip section projecting upwardly above the reinforcing section. The reinforcing section at opposite ends is secured by the adhesive to the end walls of the carrier body to transmit the weight load of the bottles in the carrier body directly to the composite handle. The separators for the individual bottles extend from the composite reinforcing section on opposite sides below the hand grip section and outwardly on opposite sides to the side walls of the carrier body to provide receptacles for the individual bottles.

A further objective of the invention has been to provide a carrier which is conveniently assembled and erected from its one-piece blank formation, and in which there is a considerable saving in the paperboard stock over the carriers manufactured in the past.

In accordance with this feature, the carrier is erected simply by first doubling the two pairs of panels of the composite handle upon one another, redoubling them,

then securing the panels together adhesively. Thereafter, the composite bottom panels and composite end wall panels are secured adhesively to complete the assembly. Complete erection is carried out by providing a latch connection between the composite end walls and composite bottom to support the bottom and square up and lock the carrier in erected condition.

Still another objective of the invention has been to provide a carrier which is designed to contain bottles of different lengths, with the shoulder portions of the bottles (which may vary substantially in height) separated from one another to prevent contact between the bottles.

In order to carry out this feature, the separators, which delineate the individual bottle receptacles, are each provided with an upwardly projecting peak rising a substantial distance above the separator. Accordingly, the shoulders of short bottles which are confined in the carrier body engage the lower portion of the separators to prevent contact at the shoulders and consequent rattling as the carrier is transported. On the other hand, the shoulders of the longer bottles, which normally rise above the separators and contact one another, are isolated by the upstanding peaks of the separators. Accordingly, the same carrier is adapted to be utilized without change for the various sizes of bottles which are in conventional use and which are substantially of the same diameter.

The various features and advantages of the invention will be more fully apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of an erected carrier constructed according to the principles of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the erected carrier.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the erected carrier.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the paperboard blank from which the carrier is assembled and erected, showing some of the glued areas.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the blank in partially assembled condition, showing the remaining glued areas.

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 showing the next step in the progressive assembly of the carrier from its blank formation.

FIGURE 7 is an end view of the blank, as viewed along line 7-7 of FIGURE 6, further detailing the partially assembled condition of the blank.

FIGURE 8 is an end view similar to FIGURE 7 showing the bottom panels of the carrier in partially assembled and in secured position.

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view further illustrating the condition of the blank shown in FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 10 is a side elevation of the assembled carrier with the flaps adhesively secured together prior to final erection.

- FIGURE 11 is a sectional view taken along line 1111 of FIGURE 10, further detailing the construction of the carrier.

FIGURE 12 is an enlarged plan view of the assembled carrier prior to final erection and locking of the bottom panels.

Structure Described generally with reference to FIGURES l, 2 and 3, a bottle carrier constructed according to the principles of the invention generally comprises a carrier body indicated generally at 1, a composite handle 2, with hottle separators 3 upwardly inclined and extending from the side walls of the carrier body to the composite handle. The separators 3 define receptacles for the individual bottles and are arranged to prevent contact between the rows of bottles. The handle extends along the mid-portion of the carrier body and prevents contact between the rows of bottles which are confined in the opposite sides of the carrier body.

The carrier body 1 comprises a composite bottom, indicated generally at 4, and a pair of side wall panels 5-5 joined to the composite bottom 4. The carrier body, further includes composite end walls 6-6 having flaps, as explained later, which are joined to the composite handle 2 to provide a connection between the handle 2 and carrier body 1 suitable to sustain the weight load of the bottles which are confined therein.

It will be understood at this point, that the bottom and walls of the composite body 1, the bottle separators 3 and the composite handle 2 are all formed from a onepiece blank formed of paperboard. The several components are delineated by lines of severance and score lines which are impressed in the blank while it is in its flat condition. Upon assembly and erection, the flaps and other parts are secured to one another by the use of adhesives and the carrier is erected to its final form by means of a latching arrangement which looks the composite bottom 4 in its fiat bottle-supporting position and also holds the carrier body in its squared and erected condition.

In the present example, the bottle carrier is arranged to confine a group of six bottles arranged in three rows on opposite sides of the composite handle 2. The individual bottles are segregated from one another to prevent bottle contact and rattling by the separators 3. The separators 3 are delineated by the lines of severance 7 (FIGURE 4) which are formed in the side wall panels 5 and in the composite handle sections, as explained later. It will be understood, at this point, that carriers utilizing principles of this invention may be fabricated in the manner described for confining groups of eight bottles or for any other desired number by increasing the size of the blank and the number of separators 3 to delineate receptacles for the desired number of bottles.

It will also be noted that each separator 3 is provided with a peak 8 (FIGURES 1-4) which rises upwardly above the separator 3. These peaks project upwardly a sufiicient distance to reside between the shoulders of certain sizes of the bottles to prevent contact between adjacent bottles in the carrier. A typical bottle of this type is shown in broken lines at 10 in FIGURE 1. When bottles having a lower shoulder are packed in the carrier, the shoulders of adjacent bottles reside between the separators 3 below the peaks, as indicated by the typical bottle shown at 11 in broken lines in FIGURE 1. In either event, the composite handle, indicated generally at 2 resides below the tops of the bottles in order that the loaded carriers may be stacked one upon the other within the retail store, with the bottom of the respective carriers resting upon the tops of the bottles in the carriers below.

It will be understood at this point, that one of the features of the present invention resides in the construction and arrangement of the composite handle 2, while the arrangement of the peaks 8 of the separators 3, which convert the carrier for use with different sizes of bottles, represent another aspect of the invention.

As best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 each composite end wall 6 of the carrier comprises end wall panels 12- 12 which are joined to the side wall panels 5 along the score lines 13.

The lines of severance 7 which delineate the bottle separators 3 are angulated in an upward direction to approximately mid-way the length of the separator (FIGURE 2) while the remaining portion of the severance lines 7 are horizontal, that is, parallel with the composite bottom of the carrier. The severance lines 7 thus delineate the top edge of each side wall panel 5 and the resulting separators 3 each comprise one portion 15 (FIGURE 3) which is inclined upwardly from the side wall panel 5 while the remaining portion 16 at the juncture of the peak 8 extends horizontally. Each separator 3 is bent along the two score lines 17-17 which are formed in the side wall panels 5 and in one of the sets of panels which comprise the reinforcing portion of the composite handle 2.

As noted earlier, each composite end wall 6 comprises end wall panels 12-12 which are joined to the side wall panels 5 along the score lines 13. As explained later, each end wall panel 12 includes a flap, the two flaps being adhesively secured together to form a reinforcing part of the composite handle and a connection between the composite handle 2 and the carrier body 1.

The composite bottom 4 (FIGURES 4, 5 and 8) comprises a first bottom panel 18 and a second bottom panel 20. The panel 18 is joined to the side wall panel 5 along the score line 21 and the second bottom panel is joined to the first along the intermediate score line 22. The intermediate score line 22 permits the composite bottom 4 to be bent downwardly (FIGURES 10 and 11) when the carrier blank is folded and assembled prior to erection.

In order to assemble the bottom panel, the other side wall panel 5 (FIGURE 4) is provided with a flap 14 joined to the side wall panel 5 along the second score line 19. Upon assembly, the flaps 20 and 14 are provided with an adhesive coating and are overlapped and adhesively secured, as explained later.

The bottom edges of the panels 18 and 20 are provided with V-shaped notches 23 (FIGURE 4), with the apex of the V coinciding with the intermediate score line 22. The notches 23 form a part of a snap-type latch for locking the carrier in its erected position (FIGURE 3) after the components have been glued and folded to the fiat assembled condition of FIGURE 10.

As best shown in FIGURES 46, and 9, the outer edge of each end wall panel 12 includes a flap 24 which is delineated by the fold line 25. The outer edge portion of each flap 24 is notched out as at 26 to delineate a spur 27. In erecting the carrier, as explained later, the spurs 27 are arranged in pairs at opposite ends of the carrier to be snapped into engagement with the V-shaped notches 23 to support the composite bottom 4.

The composite handle 2 (FIGURES 1-5) is delineated in part by the lines of severance 7 which form the separators 3 and by a second panel which is delineated by the lines of severance as explained below. The composite handle is formed by two pairs .of panels, the pairs indicated generally at 28 and 30 which are similar in configuration. The pair of panels 28 comprises a hand grip panel 31 and a reinforcing or return panel 32 delineated by severance lines 3333. The second pair of panels 30 similarly compr1ses a hand grip panel 34 and a reinforcing or return panel 35. The hand grip hand 34 and reinforcing or return panel 35 are provided with an adhesive coating 36. The hand grip panels 31 and 34 are separated from their reinforcing or return panels 33 and 35 by score lines 37 (FIGURE 4). The handle hand grip panels 31 and 34 each include an upstanding hand grip 38 having finger holes 40-40 and including reinforcing tabs 41. The hand grips 38 are each delineated by the line of severance 42 which separates the hand grips 38 from the return handle panels 32 and 35.

It will be noted that the hand grip panels 28 and 30 which form the composite hand grip are delineated in the mid-section of the blank (FIGURE 4) simply by the severance lines 33 and the severance lines 7 which form the separators 3. Accordingly, there is no waste of material in the formation of hand grip panels; moreover, this construction improves the ease of assembling and erectron of the carrier.

Assembly and erection In assembling the blank, the first set of hand grip panels 28 are folded along the score line 43 and severance line 44 and doubled over upon the second set of hand grip panels 39, such that the first pair 28 is secured by the adhesive coating 36 to the second pair 30 (FIGURE 5). It will be noted that in the over-folded condition, the first pair of hand grip panels 28 are provided with an adhesive coating 45 (FIGURE 5). It will also be noted that the inner end portions of one pair of flaps 24 are provided with tabs 46-46 which are adhesively secured to the coating 45 of the hand grip panels 28. These tabs reside between the composite hand grip panels in the assembled condition of the carrier (FIGURE 9). It will also be noted that the flaps 24 of the end wall panels 12 are each provided with an adhesive coating 47 which subsequently bonds with an adhesive coating 48 of the second set of flaps 24 (FIGURE 5).

After the end wall panels 12 and flaps 24 are folded inwardly upon the side wall panels 5 (FIGURE 5) the bottom panels 18 and 20 and the bottom flap 14 are folded upwardly (FIGURES 6 and 7).

It will be noted that the bottom panel 20 and the mating flap 14 are each provided with an adhesive coating 49, such that they may be adhesively secured together when brought into contact as shown in FIGURES 8 and 9. At this point the adhesive coatings 47 of the flaps 24 of the end wall panels 12 are also brought into contact with one another (FIGURE 9) thus adhesively securing the composite bottom 4 and composite end walls 6.

As shown in FIGURES 8 and 9, when the panels are over-folded the first and second hand grip panels 28 and 30 bend along the score lines 37, detaching the two hand grips 38 (which are now adhesively secured together) along their lines of severance 42, leaving the double hand grips 38 projecting upwardly. After the end wall flaps 24 and the composite bottom flaps 19 and 20 are adhesively secured, the blank assumes the assembled but collapsed condition shown in FIGURE 10. In this condition, the reinforcing section of the composite handle is in the form of a four-ply assembly, the plies all being adhesively secured together to provide a rigid structure comprising the reinforcing sections 32 and 35, with the two-ply hand grip panels 38 projecting upwardly above the reinforcing section. The assembled, four-ply reinforcing section is indicated at A in FIGURES 3, 9 and and the assembled two-ply hand grip section is indicated at B in these views.

After assembly (FIGURE 10), the composite bottom 4 is pushed upwardly so that the spurs 27 of the composite bottom can be snapped into engagement with the notches 23, thus expanding the carrier from the condition of FIGURE 12 to the fully erected condition of FIG- URE 3. It will be understood at this point that the carriers are shipped to the user in the flat, collapsed condition shown in FIGURE 10 for compact storage and shipment. The user erects the carrier in a convenient manner by bringing the bottom upwardly, as noted above, and at the same time pushing the end walls in the direction indicated by the arrows 50 (FIGURE 12) to aid in engaging the spurs 27 with the notches 23 which look the carrier in its erected position. The carrier is then ready to be loaded with bottles and stacked in the retail outlet.

Having described my invention I claim:

1. In a collapsible bottle carrier having a carrier body comprising a composite bottom, a pair of side wall panels and a pair of composite end walls each having a pair of end wall panels connected to the opposite ends of said side wall panels, the improvement which comprises:

an end wall flap projecting from the free edge of each of said end wall panels and extending above the carrier body;

the end wall flaps of each pair of end wall panels being disposed in facial engagement with one another and being folded into the interior of said carrier body and adhesively secured together;

a composite four-ply handle reinforcing section comprising two pairs of panels doubled and redoubled over upon one another with said end wall flaps disposed therebetween;

said pairs of panels of the reinforcing section and said end wall flaps being adhesively secured together and thereby providing a load-bearing connection between the carrier body and said handle reinforcing section;

two of said handle reinforcing panels including respective hand grips rising upwardly above said four-ply reinforcing section and forming an integral part thereof;

said reinforcing section being coextensive with the carrier body;

said hand grips being less than the length of the reinforcing section, being adhesively secured together in facial engagement with one another and forming a two-ply hand grip section;

said hand grip section including openings providing finger holes for transporting the carrier;

and a plurality of bottle separators extending outwardly from the opposite sides of the said reinforcing section to the said pair of side wall panels and delineating receptacles adapted to confine individual bottles in the carrier body;

the opposite ends of said separators being integral with the panels of the reinforcing section and with said side wall panels and delineated by score lines extending vertically of the carrier body.

2. A collapsible bottle carrier as set forth in claim 1 in which the bottle carrier is adapted to confine bottles having shoulders located at diverse distances above the bottoms of the bottles, said bottle separators adapted to engage and separate the shoulders which are located at a minimum distance above the bottom of the bottle, with the bottle resting upon the composite bottoms of the carrier, each of said separators including an integral peak rising upwardly above the upper edge of the separator, said peaks adapted to engage and separate the shoulders which are located at a maximum distance above the bottom of the bottles, with the bottle resting upon the composite bottom of the carrier.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,335,022 11/1943 OReilly 220-1 13 2,418,350 4/1947 Holy 220-413 2,532,446 12/1950 Hall 220118 2,717,097 9/1955 Arneson 2201 13 2,756,900 7/ 1956 Collura 2201 13 3,263,893 8/1966 Weiss 220--l l3 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE O. RALSTON, Examiner. 

1. IN A COLLAPSIBLE BOTTLE CARRIER HAVING A CARRIER BODY COMPRISING A COMPOSITE BOTTOM, A PAIR OF SIDE WALL PANELS AND A PAIR OF COMPOSITE END WALLS EACH HAVING A PAIR OF END WALL PANELS CONNECTED TO THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID SIDE WALL PANELS, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES: AN END WALL FLAP PROJECTING FROM THE FREE EDGE OF EACH OF SAID END WALL PANELS AND EXTENDING ABOVE THE CARRIER BODY; THE END WALL FLAPS OF EACH PAIR OF END WALL PANELS BEING DISPOSED IN FACIAL ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER AND BEING FOLDED INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID CARRIER BODY AND ADHESIVELY SECURED TOGETHER; A COMPOSITE FOUR-PLY HANDLE REINFORCING SECTION COMPRISING TWO PAIRS OF PANELS DOUBLED AND REDOUBLED OVER UPON ONE ANOTHER WITH SAID END WALL FLAPS DISPOSED THEREBETWEEN; SAID PAIRS OF PANELS OF THE REINFORCING SECTION AND SAID END WALL FLAPS BEING ADHESIVELY SECURED TOGETHER AND THEREBY PROVIDING A LOAD-BEARING CONNECTION BETWEEN THE CARRIER BODY AND SAID HANDLE REINFORCING SECTION; TWO OF SAID HANDLE REINFORCING PANELS INCLUDING RESPECTIVE HAND GRIPS RISING UPWARDLY ABOVE SAID FOUR-PLY REINFORCING SECTION AND FORMING AN INTEGRAL PART THEREOF; SAID REINFORCING SECTION BEING COEXTENSIVE WITH THE CARRIER BODY; SAID HAND GRIPS BEING LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF THE REINFORCING SECTION, BEING ADHESIVELY SECURED TOGETHER IN FACIAL ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER AND FORMING A TWO-PLY HAND GRIP SECTION; SAID HAND GRIP SECTION INCLUDING OPENINGS PROVIDING FINGER HOLES FOR TRANSPORTING THE CARRIER; AND A PLURALITY OF BOTTLE SEPARATORS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SAID REINFORCING SECTION TO THE SAID PAIR OF THE SIDE WALL PANELS AND DELINEATING RECEPTACLES ADAPTED TO CONFINE INDIVIDUAL BOTTLES IN THE CARRIER BODY; THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID SEPARATORS BEING INTEGRAL WITH THE PANELS OF THE REINFORCING SECTION AND WITH SAID SIDE WALL PANELS AND DELINEATED BY SCORE LINES EXTENDING VERTICALLY OF THE CARRIER BODY. 